Skip to main content

tv   Americas News HQ  FOX News  December 26, 2009 6:00pm-7:00pm EST

6:00 pm
hours. here's the latest. suspect has been charged this afternoon with attempting to destroy an airplane. a judge giving him the news about two hours ago. we understand that umar farouk abdulmutallab will be held until his next court appearance january 8th. fox news also confirming that u.s. intelligence officials have known about the 23-year-old nigerian for sometime. as someone who might have ties or links to terrorism. as for the device he allegedly used onboard the delta flight, the feds say it was attached to his body. preliminary analysis showing it contained the same kind of explosive material used by convicted shoe bomber richard reid. national correspondent katherine herridge live in washington for us. charges now filed against that suspect, what do we know about the charges specifically, and what do we know about what will lie ahead procedurally for this suspect? >> reporter: this criminal
6:01 pm
complain was filed in a federal court in michigan earlier today. it alleges the 23-year-old nigerian suspect wanted to blow up an american aircraft n this case the delta 253. sources tell fox this is what is called a holding charge ornish shall charge. it allows them to hold him so he can't walk out of the hospital in detroit. and we are also being told that more charges are anticipated. what is important about the criminal complaint is that it flushes out three central questions of this investigation so far. for the first time on the record we have some information about the device and time of explosive used. -- and the type of explosive used. preliminary fbi analysis found the device contained pet and high explosive. further analysis is ongoing. fbi agents recovered what appears to be the remnants of the syringe from the vicinity of abdulmutallab's seat believed to have been part of the device that is important because it is consistent with
6:02 pm
what we were told last night they believed the suspect took the device onboard, strapped to his leg or groin area and the syringe was part of the mechanism. it reads in part: prior to the incident abdulmutallab went to the bathroom for approximately 20 minutes. according to the affidavit, upon returning to his seat he stated his stomach was upset and pulled a over himself. passengers heard popping noises sip to firecrackers, smell add odor and some obvioused abdulmutallab's pants leg and the wall of the airplane on fire. one of the central questions i understand investigators had been looking at is the sophistication. device and whether it would have been capable of carrying down that aircraft? we had a hint from from the statement by the attorney general. had it been successful scores of innocent people would have
6:03 pm
been killed or injured. through a former government official, the device now being held by the fbi at their quantico labs and that is where the material is being and ized. >> jamie: that was a big question yesterday how much of the device could be recovered. you mentioned the syringe. is that something you are allowed to bring on a plane? for example, if you are a diabetic do you have to check it in your baggage? >> reporter: earlier i spoke to a former government official who has not been briefed on this case but well versed on airline security matters. he told me, three important points. number one, he said petn or this high explosive typically is not recovered or detected if you go through routine screening. it is typically only picked up if you are subject to secondary skaepbing the swabbing -- screening the swabbing or your carry-on luggage. i asked about sir ribs carried onboard by diabetics. he said they are not routinely
6:04 pm
screened because of the amount of liquid is not considered significantly large to cause explosion onboard of an aircraft. thirdly, he said the choice of seat for the suspect, he believed was no accident. the suspect was sitting in seat 19a. he was seated in a part of an aircraft if there had been an explosion it would have caused maximum damage 19a is over top the fuel tanks and the wing also again the skin of the aircraft. so if there had been a successful explosion this former government official said, there was the greatest likelihood that explosion would be accelerated by the fuel in the tanks and would puncture the skin of the aircraft in the wing area a part where there's the critical infrastructure for that aircraft and that could in effect bring it down. >> jamie: that is just frightening to hear about the thought that must have gone into this. especially with the location.
6:05 pm
>> reporter: it is further evidence in the mind of this former government official, again he hasn't been briefed, but he was very involved in airline security here in the united states for some years. that it was not a coincidence. and that it is a conspiracy in the sense that this individual had help. because it takes a certain amount of knowledge of the structure of an aircraft and the vulnerable points on the aircraft to select that seat. he said two seats would have that kind of catastrophic impact if there was a successful detonation. one of those seats he said 19a. >> jamie: before i let you go, he did not appear on a no-fly list we have heard. but he6qñ was on a list of terrr suspects to watch, potentially. do you think going forward that will change? who makes the decision of who is on what list? >> reporter: well, what we know about the stats of the list came from a u.s. official, who was very guarded in how he discussed it.
6:06 pm
it is clear in washington there's a tight lid on this, because there will be a criminal prosecution as we've seen earlier today. what i was told is that there are a number of lists. the terror watch list, no-fly lists that prevent you from getting onboard an aircraft. in this situation, the suspect was in another database and it was a database for people, the example i was given, let's say a terrorist picked up overseas and they pick up his calendar or blackberry whatever he's got with his numbers and names in it. those names and numbers would go into this data bank it is kind of a watch-out list. it is not sufficient to prevent you from flying into the united states and not sufficient to subject you to secondary screening. all of those things are important, especially because the u.s. official confirmed to me they are looking in this investigation into any possible investigations to yes, ma'am machine that's very significant, because -- yemen. that's very significant when they talk about three centers
6:07 pm
for terrorism worldwide they talk about tribal areas of pakistan, somalia and yemen. >> we will look at all of that in this hour. the general will be joining us. great reporting, thank you. rick rick a little confusion that may exist, if you look at this plane on the tarmac at the airport in detroit, you can clearly see the fuselage the name delta however, we're calling this a northwest flight. just so everyone is on the same page, delta and northwest merged back in october of last year. a lot of planes that are operated by northwest still carry the delta insignia. the airlines share ticket counters and airplanes and such as a result of the er that's where that comes in just so you know what we're talking about when we talk about this northwest plane. new details starting to emerge about umar farouk abdulmutallab. nigerian banker says he thinks
6:08 pm
this might be his son. he tells the associated press his son left britain to travel abroad and may have gone to yemen, a country where al-qaeda has had a growing presence other the years. as police in the u.k. are searching a number of different locations, including abdulmutallab's last known address. this is in an upscale neighborhood in london. greg palkot is live in london with the latest what is the latest on the investigation there? >> reporter: rick, hour by hour we get more reports, more information, a little bit of a better picture of what this terror suspect is all about. i spoke with the police, london police authority a few hours ago they confirmed to me they are searching through several locations in central london linked to the suspect. including the place where believed umar farouk abdulmutallab, last was known to live. reportedly, it is a three bedroom, six million dollar plus apartment shared by other members of his wealthy
6:09 pm
nigerian family. i also spoke with officials at university, college london they did confirm a man with a similar name tended their school. he's graduated with an engineering degree in june of 2008. the question is, where did he go from there? there are several reports he traveled, egypt, dubai, spent a lot of time in yemen. that al-qaeda hotbed we've been talking about. the speculation is how did he progress from just a nigerian student to a possible al-qaeda operative. thinking possibly recruited in london, radicalized in yemen. >> now this flight went through amsterdam before detroit. so many flights bond bound for the u.s. go through heathrow. how have officials at heathrow responded to requests for tighter security in light what is going on? >> reporter: it is tighter now at heathrow the -- one of the
6:10 pm
international airports for london. the care there particularly british airways have gotten directives to tighten up security that is what they are doing. only one carry-on allowed. further checks maybe full body searches of the people getting on the planes. that is also coming from amsterdam where there's security tightened there as well. again, amsterdam is the location where mutallab transitted. london has seen its share of terror plots. airline-related terror plots in 2006 that liquid bomb plot was thwarted has changed so much of your travel on the airlines. authorities looking closely at terror suspects and plots here in london as for this individual, did they know about him? according to the latest reports we are getting, they were aware of mutallab he came across their radar screens. there's one report by our sister newspapers the times of
6:11 pm
london he was denied a further visa here for further study, but they weren't so serious about him in terms of terror they were ready to act against him. now they are looking much harder. >> i'll bet, greg palkot, thanks. >> jamie: members of congress announcing today they will hold hearings into the failed terrorist attack on flight 253. they want to determine how he was able to smuggle an explosive mixture on to a plane and what security precautions need to take place in the future? do we need to go beyond where we are now? joining us congressman peter king from new york. thanks for being with us. >> thank you, jamie. >> jamie: you know how concerned everyone is about this explosive device was able to get on a plane and possibly through two different checkpoints. can you confirm for us, please, exactly what security measures this suspect went through and where?
6:12 pm
>> my understanding is that in nigeria he through a magnetometer or metal detector the same in holland. he did not go through a full body scan. he just went through the magnetometers which would not detect the type of explosive he apparently had. i would think in view of the fact he was on a watch-list at the very least, the airport should have been alerted. i know for instance as recently as november 23rd, the state department made an inquiry about him, showed concern about him. yet, apparently nothing has been done as far as advising airports overseas or our own airlines about him. we have to look at the type of screening they go through, secondary screening. also, when we have these passengers getting on flights in a country such as nigeria, which which has an al-qaeda presence and does not have the best airline security. when they get to a country such as the netherlands as to what type of screening they
6:13 pm
are going through. we are vulnerable. we are the ones at the end of this trip. >> jamie: hasn't the u.s. provided screening technology to night yearia? does amsterdam have the full body body scams the ones the aclu and other groups said have privacy issues because you can see your privates. if this device was hidden, it would have shown up, basically the screener is the only one that sees inside and under your clothes, correct? >> yes. those images and -- disappear soon after or are disposed of. as far as nigeria my under stage -- understanding in 2007 or 2008, we gave them three of these devices to be used at their airports because of the concern we had about the lack of security at their airports. i do amsterdam has this type
6:14 pm
of device it was not used either in nigeria or amsterdam with this terrorist suspect. again that is something we have to look into. also this whole idea of lists. all of us know people who are on lists who don't belong on them, as far as no-fly. someone as recently as november 23rd, the state department was expressing concern and apparently nothing was done. i'm not trying to be a monday morning quarterback, i think in our hearings we have to get into this carefully. i know the ultimate authority is with the terrorist screening center under the fbi and the justice department, also the tsa can be involved and we have to -- >> jamie: let's make it simple, a lot of people are learning for the first time today there's a no-fly list even if you have suspected terry ties you not make the no-fly list you may be on this other general list. you confirmed this suspect was on that list and could board a flight to the united states. how can that happen?
6:15 pm
should it be changed? who decides who goes on which list? >> basically it is the final voice is the terrorist screening center which is under the jurisdiction of the justice department and the fbi. however, the tsa, transportation security agency they also can put people on it. you know, this list, the secondary list we're talking about is anyone whose name comes up somewhere can be on that list. we have to refine it more to me, just recently the state department was concerned about him. if it is true his father came to the american embassy and gave information on him. then we have to -- congress has to be shown his classified file to show why why he was not put on a no-fly list to me, i could see if someone's name happened to come up somewhere, he doesn't belong on the no-fly list. at least a secondary screening list where the person would be patted down and given a more intensive search. there's a lot of questions here. we can't let this happen
6:16 pm
again. >> jamie: you would confirm that there was a syringe involved in this device? >> yeah, that's my understanding jamie. i don't know if that is confirmed by the justice department. >> jamie: in the hearings we will of course learn the circumstances of how he made it on to that original list, do you know what the circumstances are that lead to him being a suspect in terror activities initially? >> no this is all part of his confidential file. know on november 23rd, of this year the state department did express concern about him. we have to find out why the state department had its concern. >> jamie: congressman king thank you for joining us. >> this latest terrorist attempt is going to have big impact for travelers heading home this weekend. also, likely beyond this holiday season. faa officials and federal aviation officials say you can expect the highened security for domestic and international flights at airports across the
6:17 pm
country. some airlines are requiring passengers to stay in their seats up to an hour before landing. air canada has confirmed their new rules. they released a statement adding during the last hour travelers will not be able to access any carry-on bags or have any items in their laps. david lee miller is live at narcotic owes laguardia airport. have we seen -- at new york's laguardia airport. have we seen some of these rules in the past? >> reporter: you are right some of these rules have been tried in the past for whatever reason they were rescinded. we talked with head of security for northwest airlines. he told me former head of security for northwest that the idea of requiring passengers on international flights to remain in their seats for the period of time of one hour prior to landing is not effective idea. he said it has been tried to the past and it had failed. he said a terrorist who wants
6:18 pm
to inflict the greatest upon damage to an aircraft would probably explode a device when that aircraft was at the highest possible all the -- altitude not shortly before i was to land. he was also critical of the idea they are instituting widespread pat-downs at airports especially for overseas passengers, body searches, if you will. he said for the most part they are not effective. he said the only effective body search a very intrusive body search done by the military or the police. and these types of searches are too intraoupls sieve he said to take place at -- too intrusive to take place at an airport for ordinary passengers. >> jamie: how did the suspect in the attempted bombing of a u.s. bound airliner get those possible explosives onboard? this is video of the security checkpoint in the netherlands where the suspect would have had to pass through
6:19 pm
beforehand. what went wrong? our terrorism expert weighs in, next. bass pro sho of great last minute gift ideas like redhead printed knit shirts for only $14.94. and redhead chamois shirts for just $19.94. and there's still time to get your gifts by christmas at basspro.com with our free shipping upgrade through december 23rd.
6:20 pm
look for the healing seal. gold bond medicated lotion. stop itching. start healing.
6:21 pm
. >> rick: nigerian man formally charged. witnesses say
6:22 pm
umar farouk abdulmutallab tried to ignite explosive device on a northwest flight from amsterdam to detroit. fox news confirming u.s. intelligence authorities knew of the suspect for sometime, possibly a couple of years, before the alleged attack yesterday. the former homeland security chief michael chertoff spoke with fox news on the phone earlier today. he broke down the range of questions facing investigators now. >> here's what i assume is going on right now. first, they're interviewing the individual involved. looking at the device, trying to determine how powerful or how practical i was in terms of actually detonating. are there any compounds or chemicals that we haven't seen before that we need to consider in terms of security? they are also tracking back to see what the flight pattern of this individual was. where was the entry point into the aviation system? that will tell you the point of vulnerability where he was
6:23 pm
able to smug bull -- smuggle the material on. was he operating by himself, with others? was he connected to al-qaeda back in yemen or in south asia or was he more of a lone wolf and wannabe? >> rick: how could this suspect pass through airport security undetected. joining us former assistant director of the fbi. former chief of the counter terrorism division. always good to see you. we've done so much since 9/11, from scanners to watch lists, rules on liquids. rules on taking off our shoes at security check points. yet, this guy goes right through security in amsterdam. how does this happen? >> first, you are right in all that you have said. the main lesson is they are going to keep trying, they are going to keep coming. this is a war and a battle that is going on for a long time. we have to keep up our guard constantly, that's the main lesson.
6:24 pm
there's been a lot talk about lists and security. here's the real situation, we have all kinds of lists based on all the activities of our government. there are hundreds of thousands of people literally who have come to our attention since 9/11 in terms of their connection to terrorism. to suggest there could be one all encompassing list in which all people are treated identically, in which al-qaeda member is treated the same as one whose name is picked up in some passing investigation is not realistic. >> rick: maybe that's the problem, too many lists. >> i don't think -- >> rick: babies, innocent grandmas are on the watch lists. here we have a guy who was on our radar. whose own father came to reportedly warn u.s. officials that he thought his son was up to no good. yet this young man, 23 year man is allowed to board a plane bound for the united states. >> rick, once again you are
6:25 pm
suggesting that there's information available to us, i'm sure there was some sort of information. whether it rose to the point where we could deny that person access to be a passenger on an airliner it's not clear to me at that point. you have to have some pretty substantial information to be able to do that we are never gonna reach that point where there is one all encompassing list on which we can treat all people on that list as if they are terrorists. that's not a realistic proposition. the issue is once again -- also, we never want to get in the position where our line of defense becomes the physical check at an airport. we have to know through our intelligence system who these people are, what they are planning and stop them long before they show up at the airport. another lesson of this incident. that's not to say we don't need more effective airline security. it appears there may have been a problem. we don't know what the problem is. we don't know whether the
6:26 pm
equipment we are using today is not capable of detecting this kind of a threat or whether there was human error. >> rick: let me jump in we have under a minute left. with the bush administration, i think it was always clear where they stood when it came to the war on terrorism. with this new administration, i think some people have been wondering if president obama gets it. a situation like this, takes place. do you think is a wake-up call? does it change some people's minds in the white house today? >> rick, we've had more than enough wake-up calls, we are way beyond wake-up calls we are in the middle of a war. we need to be aggressive in taking this war to the enemy. we cannot lay back and hope that this problem is gonna go away. that's the lesson, that's the way the administration has to act. i think you are right the bush administration did act that way. we have to hope this administration will continue
6:27 pm
that or we're in serious trouble. >> rick: former assistant director of the fbi, thanks for joining us tonight. >> jamie: the white house has ordered tightened security at airports across our nation what does it moon for travelers? long -- does it mean for travelers? long lines and more. new rules that you need to know about, next stay with us.
6:28 pm
6:29 pm
- hi, i'm halle berry, and as a new mom, i can tell you that childhood is a magical time. but for children with diabetes, life is not quite so carefree. the barbara davis center for childhood diabetes is fighting hard to find a cure. know the signs: irritability, excessive urination, weight loss. if you have any of these signs, please call your doctor. early detection can save your life. give to save lives and reach for the cure. call now or log on to childrensdiabetesfoundation.org. were just talking about president obama monitoring
6:30 pm
developments with the failed airliner attack from hawaii where he's on vacation with his family. the white house does consider this incident an attempted terrorist act. at this time, the national threat level has not been upgraded. instead, the president is ordering a clamp down on security procedures at airports nation wide. steve centanni joining us live from hawaii with more on that >> reporter: a lot tougher airline security measures in place now. the president ordered those yesterday on the secured conference call to officials at the white house in washington. he's been getting regular updates. not only by conference calls with his top national security and homeland security advisers going on, on a regular basis also by paper, information compiled with the help of a military aide here with him on the island. the information is being compiled from across all the relevant government agencies that are involved in this situation. investigating the suspect,
6:31 pm
homeland security, what kind of stringent measures are being taken to make sure there is no other plot in the works. make sure people are prom early screened. to make sure the airports and airlines are safe and the fbi and cia investigating. all agencies contributing to regular reports, i'm told that the president is getting, even as he is vacationing here in hawaii. it is part pleasure and part business. the president very much on top of the situation. he's not changed his plans to stay in hawaii until january 4th, i'm sure the white house feels the president can monitor and take relevant action from where he is with the sophisticated communication he has. >> rick: i guess when you are the president of the united states you are never fully on vacation. you mentioned he does have staff with him on this trip who is helping to make sure that he's briefed what kind of
6:32 pm
con continuing is there from the white house -- contingency is there from the white house as far as aides traveling with the president? >> reporter: they are keeping him posted as i've said. some of his most trusted advisers always in touch with the rest of the white house security system. our national security, homeland security, all at agencies. he's in good hands. he feels he's secure and in control of the situation here in hawaii. so he's taking advantage of the good weather that you can see behind me and he's gone out golfing today at one of the most scenic courses on the island of oahu on the marine base not far from the rental home where he's staying. scenic with the backdrop of high mountains and the pacific ocean he is there with three friends from hawaii and an old friend from chicago. also everyday going to the gym and working out that's the way he starts his day. of course he's trying to enjoy his vacation which is somewhat
6:33 pm
over that doughed by had attempted -- overshadowed by this attempted terrorist attack. >> jamie: passengers and crew playing a huge role in averting disaster. travelers on this plane, tackling and restaining the terror suspect as he trite to detonate the mixture he smuggled on to the plane. crewmembers tried to keep order and put out the flames as the plane made a safe landing. karina, what is the latest now? >> reporter: jamie, we've contacted tsa, fbi and the u.s. attorney's office. as you can imagine lots of officials remaining mum on the case. that's because the whole point of this is criminal prosecution. to gather enough evidence to prosecute the suspect. abdulmutallab. the initial hearing did take place at the hospital a few hours ago. we learned that two reporters
6:34 pm
were allowed in, a local reporter here as well as associated press reporter. one of the reporters said she initially noticed just how young mutallab is, 23-years-old. she said he seemed like he had demeanor the judge kept asking do you understand what is going on and he answered yes. he has also asked an attorney be charged to him. he has been charged. also with putting a does was done via a criminal complain these are the initial charges just to hold him, more charges are likely to come, regarding terrorist activities. the next court appearance is january 8th. >> jamie: we know he will be held until then. tell me where the plane is at this hour?
6:35 pm
>> reporter: we believe that parts of the aircraft -- parts of the device were sent to quantico to go ahead and be tested. the other parts of right here, obviously you can't move an entire airplane. >> jamie: security measures have you had a chance to talk, anyone showing up for a flight about how they feel about the fact this happened in detroit? >> reporter: as you can imagine, a lot can change in 24 hours right here in detroit as well as across the nation. even internationally, we've seen a lot of police dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, as well as police units. security is heightened, everyone is asked to get to the airport well in advance of their departure time. >> jamie: you want to leave extra time. >> rick: all this beefed up security coming in at the busy holiday travel season. the extra vigilance ought to be reassuring but will no
6:36 pm
doubt test patience of a lot of people. especially for folks who don't travel that regularly. but who are during the holidays. joining us on the phone with more on what we can expect former tsa administrator. good to see you kip. this couldn't happen at a busier time for air travel. now we are getting set for people to return home, after their christmas flights. what can they expect? >> i think a the highened visible presence. they may have additional protocols as far as how many bags are hand searched and how many people get a pat-down at the boarding gate. this being the holiday season the tsa is fully staffed up and prepared for the large crowds. i wouldn't anticipate massive back-ups at the checkpoint, there might be a few other wrinkles that you may feel like possibly staying in your seat at the end of the flight or other things like that you will probably notice more at the boarding gate than at the
6:37 pm
checkpoint. >> rick: any tips for travelers? >> travel light. the less you bring through security, the faster it will go for everybody. just be prepared when your turn comes up and go through the drill as quickly as you can. >> rick: any christmas gifts you might have gotten at your get together, you might want to ship it home as opposed to bringing it on the plane? >> absolutely, the less you are carrying the better for everybody. >> rick: are we going to be susceptible to these things? no matter how many rules and regulations, no matter how many new things are put in place you have to stay in your seat and do this and that. are we always going to be susceptible to these attacks or attempted attacks? >> sustainability is the big issue, the threat is going to be out there for a generation or more. we have to get used to putting security as part of our normal
6:38 pm
process so it is not a costly and time-consuming add on. i think a lot of technology coming out now like the new body imagers can help. so it will smooth the process. but beef up security. >> rick: talk about the tsa workers dedicated men and women who have thank less jobs, i can't tell you the number of times i've seen travelers getting frustrated with the different things that have to be done now when you get on to an airplane. are we arming these tsa workers with the proper troops and training so they can do their jobs effectively? >> i think that's a great question. i think the answer is yes. in that the technology, but the training and how they use it is key. one of the big discussions about that standard operating procedure that got disclosed a couple weeks ago it showed a 93 page checklist thing. that is the wrong way to think
6:39 pm
about security. the right way is what they've done in retraining the workforce to use their intellect, enter tuition to use their -- enter to knock for an anomaly knowing the terrorist is not going to dom police with what we've written in a checklist they going to try something different. these guys are the most experienced airport security people in the world. if we tap into that experience and let them be fully accountable and engaged in the process, that's the best security they can we can do for an enemy keeps changing. >> rick: since this flight originated overseas, before flying into the united states, how much confidence should we have in airport security workers in places like amsterdam and other european destinations where a lot of american-bound flights pass through before they wind up here? >> in europe the story is a good story. the overall eu has security procedures that pretty much match ours.
6:40 pm
amsterdam is one of the better airports outside the u.s.. i think there is an issue about the rest of the world where it gets more vary . i think it keeps coming back to sustainability. everybody can get up adrenaline when you get a big incident like this but it is a month, year, two years later, we have to be at that same level all over the world, everyday that's the hard part to keep it going even when there's not the adrenaline. >> rick: and not to let our guard down. kip hawley former administrator of the tsa, thank you. >> jamie: a man now under arrest and a little girl is safe following a terrifying kidnapping. coming up we'll talk with the police in phoenix about how they were able to rescue this child.
6:41 pm
6:42 pm
6:43 pm
. >> jamie: maryland police say a convicted sex offender in the death of an 11-year-old girl. 30-year-old thomas leggs charged earlier this week former boyfriend of the girl's aunt who is her legal guardian. the 6th grader's body found christmas day, three days after she went missing. court documents say leggs was the last person seen with sarah, autopsy conducted today. thousands took part in the search for her. police say he's been uncooperative and so far, has offered no assistance to investigators. the family of an arizona girl breathing a sigh of relief after their 5-year-old
6:44 pm
is rescued. more than seven hours after police believe a man kidnapped her. officer spotted his car and helped rescue the young girl. 45-year-old larry john ladwig was booked earlier today. joining us on the phone sergeant andy hill with the phoenix police department. good to talk to you and good to have good news on the day after christmas. take us back to yesterday afternoon when your department first got the call and this amber alert was issued. how did your department respond? >> rick, we are fortunate, we have had a great group here in phoenix. our officers responded our investigators responded immediately. we get along very well with the media. they got all the information out. the amber alert was put on. we began looking at every possible step to locate this suspect. >> rick: i understand officer mike burn is the one who saved the day here. he spotted the suspect's car. even though it had a different driver's license than what had been reported, right? >> yeah, mike was out with
6:45 pm
other k-9 officers doing his job, spotted the vehicle had a different license plate but was able to get close enough to that vehicle which was a pick-up truck, get a look at the suspect and the little girl and he knew he was not going to let that vehicle out of his sight. >> rick: what happened after that? after over burns spotted the vehicle with the two of them inside? he obviously called in for assistance. then some other officers responded and really went to work. >> right, mike tried to get on the radio there was a lot of talk on the radio. he immediately tried to pull the vehicle over. as soon as the suspect knew he he was behind him, he fled. he had a pursuit that went on for several minutes we were able to put a stop stick in front of that vehicle it ended up losing a tire. suspect jumped out, ran, officers caught him. he was taken into custody. and the little girl was rescued in that car, i was a christmas miracle for us. >> rick: unbelievable. you call it a christmas
6:46 pm
miracle. i think the dedicated officers in phoenix deserve a lot of credit. we don't want to name this young girl now. i wonder if you can give us information on how she doing and whether she is back home. an aunt has legal guardianship. is she home with the aunt and how is she? >> she is home with the aunt she has a 7 and 9-year-old sister. they've been in custody with the aunt for several years they've had not an easy life. we have a family advocacy center when we have children that are victims of sexual crimes they go to the facility where doctors and nurses take their time, they are taken care of very well. obviously this little girl has a long way to go because she was in fact the victim. >> rick: she will have the opportunity to go through that process and to heal as a result again of the hard work of the officers in the phoenix police department. thank you for joining us. job well done. please give our congratulations to everyone there in phoenix. >> i will rick, thanks for
6:47 pm
your time. >> jamie: the man suspected of trying to blow up a jet over detroit reportedly claims he the explosives in yemen. the u.s. has long suspected terrorists have been working to establish a safe haven in the nation. the issue with yemen and how this incident may change the game there. we'll look at that, next. plus, a radical imam with links to the suspected fort hood shooter, thought to be killed by an airstrike in yemen. now the fbi says he may still be alive. the new information that has come to light, that's next.
6:48 pm
.
6:49 pm
6:50 pm
>> >> rick: the fbi saying a radical cleric believed killed by an airstrike in yemen may still be alive. he's been linked to major
6:51 pm
nadal hasan suspect in the mass killings in texas. considered to be among 30 militants killed in a yemeni airstrike against suspected al-qaeda hide-outs friends and relatives say he is alive and well. the fbi has not been able to officially confirm those claims. >> jamie: there are reports that bring yemen into the investigation into the attempted bomb attack onboard a plane headed for the u.s., the one in detroit. abc news reporting al-qaeda and yemen planned the attack and trained the nigerian suspect on how to pull it off. this report claims a top al-qaeda bomb maker sewed the explosives into the suspects underwear where it would likely go undetected. joining me retired u.s. army general robert scales. thanks for being with us. i want to ask about the yemen connection. there's so much focus on rooting out al-qaeda in pakistan where we know they've found safe haven.
6:52 pm
we are fighting the taliban in afghanistan now all of a sudden the focus on yemen and potentially activities in nigeria, what are your thoughts? >> i think yemen is the new battleground. we've known for sometime that al-qaeda is pulling out of some of their south asian hide-outs pushed out the pakistanis and nato coalition. they are reestablishing themselves in yemen, particularly in some of the re s that have been seeing a -- regions that have been seeing a fairly low level insurgency for the last few months. chasing them are special forces units and some cia units assisted by the saudis' special operating units that have begun to move in, intelligence assets have been moved into yemen. i think increasingly what we are going to see is as afghanistan and pakistan become less habitable we are going to see more and more of an al-qaeda focus in yemen.
6:53 pm
i think the good news here is that the saudis are involved. they've learned their lesson. they understand this region. the border area of course is between the two countries saudi special forces had a good deal of training in the region. if there's a silver lining in this rather sinister developments, the saudis seem to be on the caper. >> jamie: but this happened what was your reaction when you heard about this incident? >> well, i mean it has al-qaeda's fingerprints all over it. first of all you pick a holiday like christmas eve for max palm pr effect. if you look at the tech -- maximum pr effect. if you look at the technology, placed over the fuel cells next to the bulkhead. the guy was trained for thirty days by an al-qaeda bomb maker. this has all the earmarks of a very professional, well thought out, carefully planned al-qaeda attack.
6:54 pm
this guy abdulmutallab was nothing more than a mule put on the plane to carry the explosive. >> jamie: we are looking at the chart of the flight. this is stunning information see the 19a that he knew would have maximum effect. is this something that we've known for a long time? are we seating marshals close to the seat because 19a has been known on this aircraft to be the one that would give potentially the most damage and deaths? >> yeah, a couple of things jamie, that's the mid point of the plane where an explosion hits, structurally the weakest part of the plane. secondly, it sits over the largest fuel tank on the airplane. third, because this terrorist was sitting next to the bulkhead when the -- had the explosive gone off it would have blown out that panel to his immediate left which would have obviously created a traumatic event with the loss of pressure. it was no accident that he was sitting in that see the. no 23 brother old nigerian can
6:55 pm
nation out. >> what do you make of the fact that his father reportedly one to the consulate and said he believed his son would be involved in some threat? do you think that other action should be taken? you've heard about the list he's on a general watch list, not on the no-fly list what would you like to see happen to ensure our national security? >> you know jamie, we're not there yet. i heard steve a few minutes ago talking in being a difficult thing to do. some sorry so there are perhaps 200,000 names on this watch list. it ought to be shared more quickly overseas. we ought to have a transparent data sharing between us and our nato allies. we should be in the process of getting sensitive information to those who have to make these key decisions more quickly. we've been at this now for eight years.
6:56 pm
steve is exactly right, the best way to stop these guys is before in get on the air plane. the surest way to do that is improve our intelligence gathering not just our screening procedures to keep these guys off the planes. >> jamie: we give money to yemen haven't we been assisting them in the past including in the obama administration? maybe they will assist us in rooting out who may have operated with this nigerian? >> yemen is a failed or failing state. a state engaged in two insurgencies. the yemeni government has begun to respond to the american presence in the area. they are starting to pay attention to this, particularly being strong armed as they are by the saudis. there's some hope that the yemenis will get onboard, but it is a very weak government. the poorest nation in the arab world. it is a breeding ground for al-qaeda and that's why al-qaeda is there. >> jamie: general, thanks for being with us. great insight as always, thank
6:57 pm
you. >> rick: terror attack, the man charged. update on flight that could have become a christmas tragedy and what is next in the investigation. also latest out of pakistan.
6:58 pm
6:59 pm
a lot of developments on the failed attack on the northwest airline flight that landed in detroit. the man from nigeria has been officially charged trying to bring down an airliner. that process has begun. travele a

192 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on